Author: chicagoinquirer

by Julie Watson and Megan Janetsky TIJUANA, Mexico — They came from Haiti, Venezuela and around the world, pulling small rolling suitcases crammed with clothing and stuffed animals to occupy their children. They clutched cellphones showing that after months of waiting they had appointments — finally — to legally enter the United States. Now outside a series of north Mexico border crossings where mazes of concrete barriers and thick fencing eventually spill into the United States, hope and excitement evaporated into despair and disbelief moments after President Donald Trump took office. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday that the…

by Zeke Miller, Chris Megerian and Michelle L. Price WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump began erasing Joe Biden ’s legacy immediately after taking office as the nation’s 47th president on Monday, pardoning nearly all of his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and issuing a blizzard of executive orders that signal his desire to remake American institutions. It was an aggressive start for a returning president who feels emboldened and vindicated by his unprecedented political comeback. Four years after being voted out of the White House, Trump has a second chance to launch what he…

by Dyepkazah Shibayan ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The Nigerian military has mistakenly killed hundreds of civilians in airstrikes targeting armed groups in the nation’s conflict-battered north over the years, many of them locals bombed in their villages. The latest misfire was on Saturday when the Nigerian air force bombarded rebels in the conflict-battered northwestern Zamfara State but ended up erroneously killing civilians working with a community security outfit, the state government said. Residents told the Associated Press that at least 20 civilians were killed. Since 2017, the military has killed about 400 civilians, according to SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based research…

by David Bauder MSNBC President Rashida Jones says she is stepping down after four years leading the liberal news network, her move coming on the eve of a second Trump administration and after changes in corporate ownership. Jones, in a memo to staff on Tuesday, said that she is leaving to “pursue new opportunities.” She’ll be replaced on an interim basis by Rebecca Kutler, a former CNN executive who joined MSNBC in 2022. In Jones’ tenure, MSNBC has generally displaced CNN as the second-rated cable news-focused network behind Fox News Channel. Its ratings are sharply down since Donald Trump’s election.…

by Aamer Madhani WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden strode into the White House four years ago with a foreign policy agenda that put repairing alliances strained by four years of Republican Donald Trump’s “America First” worldview front and center. The one-term Democrat took office in the throes of the worst global pandemic in a century and his plans were quickly stress-tested by a series of complicated international crises: the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Hamas’ brutal 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in the Middle East. As Biden prepares to leave…

by Rob Maaddi Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen won’t decide the NFL MVP next week. The stakes are higher with a spot in the AFC championship game on the line. Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (13-5) will visit Allen and the Buffalo Bills (14-4) in the divisional round while Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) will host C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans (11-7). The winners face off on Jan. 26 for a berth in the Super Bowl. The Bills advanced with a 31-7 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday after the…

Uby Jae Hong, Holly Ramer and Michael R. Blood LOS ANGELES (AP) — The death toll from the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area rose to 16 as crews battled to cut off the spreading blazes before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward some of the city’s most famous landmarks. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said in a statement Saturday evening. The previous number of confirmed fatalities before Saturday was 11, but officials said they expected that figure…

by Noah Trister BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson handed off to Derrick Henry, then slid out to the left as if he still had the ball. A couple linebackers shifted into Jackson’s path, leaving the middle open for Henry to run through for a 44-yard touchdown. That’s the quandary Jackson and Henry create for defensive players. First, they have to figure out who has the ball — and if enough people are out of position, either Baltimore star can make you pay. Jackson threw for two touchdowns in a flawless first half, Henry scored twice while leading Baltimore’s devastating running game,…

by Will Weissert and Amelia Thomson-Deveaux WASHINGTON (AP) — As Joe Biden prepares to leave office, Americans have a dimmer view of his presidency than they did at the end of Donald Trump’s first term or Barack Obama’s second, a new poll finds. Around one-quarter of U.S. adults said Biden was a “good” or “great” president, with less than 1 in 10 saying he was “great,” according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It’s a stark illustration of how tarnished Biden’s legacy has become, with many members of his own party seeing his Democratic…

by Linsday Whitehurst WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider reinstating some preventative care coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act that were struck down by a lower court. The federal government appealed to the high court after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with employers who argued they can’t be forced to provide full insurance coverage for things like medication to prevent HIV and some cancer screenings. The lower-court ruling chipped away at the program sometimes referred to as Obamacare. Challengers raised religious and procedural objections to some of the requirements. Not all preventive care…